Contact Information

Degree

Ph.D., Biotechnology, Banaras Hindu University, 2003

Biography

Post-Doctoral training in Molecular Virology, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, 2007.

My laboratory is interested in understanding the mechanism of KSHV genome replication during reactivation as well as during de-novo infection of human cells. Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also referred, as Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) is tightly linked to various human malignancies including Primary Effusion Lymphomas (PELs), Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and Multicentric Castleman's Disease (MCDs) and cause tumors predominantly in immune compromised individuals including HIV+ and patients receiving immune suppressive therapies to prevent graft rejection. KSHV induced tumors are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality of HIV/AIDS patients.

The major research interests are defining the genetic and epigenetic factors involved in regulating viral DNA replication during latent as well as lytic phases of the viral life cycles. We use a novel, Single Molecule Analysis of the Replication DNA (SMARD), approach to localize the replication initiation (ori) and termination sites on the viral genome. We are using next generation sequencing (RNA-seq and ChIP-seq) to delineate the changes in chromatin structure required for replication initiation. Additionally, we are using various other biochemical and recombinant approaches to establish the role of viral genes in replication and persistence of the viral genome.